Shelf guard for refrigerator door shelves



Jan. 4, 1966 E. H. ROBERTS SHELF GUARD'FORREFRIGERATOR DOOR SHELVES Filed Dec. 21, 1964 I NVENTOR. EDWARD H. R0 BERTS H \s ATTORNEY mediate section of the cross member.

United States Patent 3,227,502 SHELF GUARD FOR REFRIGERATOR DOOR SHELVES Edward H. Roberts, Jetfersontown, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 419,860 2 Claims. (Cl. 312-214) The present invention relates to a shelf guard for a refrigerator door shelf and is more particularly concerned with a new and improved means for supporting a shelf guard on the inner liner of a refrigerator door.

Aprimary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shelf guard which can be easily assembled and mounted on the'inner liner of a refrigerator door and which includes a cross member supported forwardly from the edge of the'shelf.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds andthe features of the novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out wvithparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

The'shelf guard structure of the present invention is specifically adapted for use in connection witha refrigerator door of the type including an inner liner having side walls defining a storage recess on the inner face of the door. Such inner doors are normally made by forming a plastic sheet material to define the entire inner liner including the side walls of the recess and one or more shelves bridging the space between the side walls. In order to prevent stored articles from falling from the shelves during closing of the door, a shelf guard is normally provided between the side walls above each shelf.

In accordance with the present invention a refrigerator door including an inner liner comprising side walls defining a recessand a shelf withinsaid recess extending between said side walls is provided with a shelf guard for bridging the space between the sidewalls and comprising a cross member of sheet metal, such as aluminum, having symmetrical upper and lower rolled edges joined by a thin intermediate section and horizontally extending end members supporting the cross member on the side walls above and forwardly from the foward edge ofthe shelf. Each of the end members including a base section adapted to be mounted on and secured to one of the side walls and an inwardly extending end section for receiving and supporting an end of the cros member. The end section of each end member includes a farce portion adapted to overlie the front surface of one end of the cross member and upper and lower rearwardly rolled edges defining openings for receiving the upper and lower rolled edges of the cross member. In order to removably anchor the ends of the cross member to the end members, each end member includes a resilient bridge connecting the rolled edge portions and spaced from the face portion of the end member to form a slot for receiving the thin inter- Each end of the cross member includes a rearwardly projecting dimple lanced from the intermediate section of the cross member, which dimple is adapted to snap past and engage the bridge for anchoring the cross member to the end members.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing; in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a refrigerator cabinet door incorporating the shelf guard of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section taken generally along line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarge fragmentary perspective view 3,227,502 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 of portions of the guard structure illustrating certain details of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is illustrated a refrigerator door 1 for closing the access opening to the storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinet, the door being of the type having an outer panel 2 and an inner wall or liner 3. The liner 3 is preferably formed from a sheet of heat insulating thermoplastic material and is of a one-piece construction formed to include a relatively large central recess 5 defined in part by opposed vertical side wall 6 (only one of which is shown) and a rear wall 8. Integrally formed as part of the liner 3 is at least one shelf 9 extending horizontally across the recess 5 between the side wall 6. The shelf 9 is normally employed for storing the usual small food articles on the door of the refrigerator and to prevent these articles from falling off of the shelf during opening and closing movement of the door, there is provided a shelf guand extending across the recess 5 between the side walls 6 above and generally slightly forward of the front edge of the shelf 9.

In accordance with the present invention, the shelf guard, generally indicated by the numeral 10, is of a low cost simple structure and includes across member 11 and opposed side members 12 designed to support the cross member 11 on the side walls 6 in a position forward from the front edge 14 of the shelf 9. The cross member 11 is preferably formed from a strip of sheet metal -or the like including rearwardly rolled upper and lower edges 15 and 16 connected by a thin intermediate section 17.

The oppose-d end members 12, composed of metal or plastic material, are suitably secured to the opposed recess wall 6 above the shelf 9. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the end members 12 are supported on the side wall 6 by means of T shaped projections 19 adapted to be received in and lockingly engaged T-shaped slots 20 provided in the sidewalls 6. By this arrangement the base portion 21 of each end member are securely anchored to the side walls 20. If desired a projection 22 on the base member adapted to fit into a suitable opening 23 in the side walls may be provided to removably lock the end members in place.

The base portion 21 of each end member extends beyond the forward edge 14 of the shelf 9 and also beyond the forward edge 24 of each side. wall 6 and terminates in an end section 25 extending substantially parallel to the edge 14 of the shelf, that is inwardly, across the face of the recess 5. Each of these end sections 25 ar, adapted to receive and support one end of the cross member 11. To this end each end section includes a face portion 26 adapted to overlie the front surface of an end of the cross member 11 with upper and lower edges 29 and 30 of the face portion terminating in rolled edge portions forming openings for receiving the upper and lower rolled edges of the cross member 11. By this arrangement, and either before or .after the end members 12 are assembled on the side walls 6, the ends of the cross member 11 can be respectively inserted into the end sections 25 rearwardly from the face portion 28.

For the purpose of normally anchoring the cross member 11 to each of the end members 12, the end section 25 of each of the end members 12 also includes a bridge 32 connected at its upper and lower ends to the edges 29 and 30 and bridging the space between these edges in spaced relationship with the face portion 28. The thin intermediate portion 17 of the cross guard is adapted to pass through the space between the face portion 28 and the bridge 32 and is so designed that after insertion of an end of the cross member 17 into this space, an arcuate dimple 34 is lanced out of the intermediate portion of the guard rearwardly, or in other words in the same direct-ion as the rolled edges 15 and 16, is designed to engage the inner surface 36 of the bridge 32 thereby anchoring an end of the cross member 11 to an end member 12. Preferably the bridge 32 is composed of a material or is of such dimensions as to be slightly resilient in order to permit the dimple 34 to pass it during the assembly operation. If desired, the bridge 32 may be provided with a thickened central portion 37 having a sloping forward wall 38 which permits the dimple to pass the bridge during assembly but which is engaged by the dimple for anchoring purposes once the assembly is completed. This construction is shown in FIGURE 3 in which the upper portion of bridge 32 is broken away to show more clearly the central portion 37 thereof.

It will be seen that the subject shelf guard is of such construction that any one of the three components there of can be easily removed or replaced. For example, if the cross member 11 or either of the end members 12 is in any way damaged during use, that member can be separated from the remaining components of the shelf guard or from the door as the case may be after which a new member is substituted therefor. The cross member can be separated from each of the end members 12 merely by flexing the bridge member 32 sutficient to permit the dimple 34 to pass between it and the face portion 28 as the cross member 11 is withdrawn from the end member. Thereafter either a new end member or a new cross member, as the case may be, is substituted for the damaged components.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention it is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refrigerator door including an inner liner comprising side walls defining a recess and a shelf within said recess extending between said side walls,

a shelf guard bridging the space between said side walls comprising a cross member having symmetrical upper and lower rolled edges joined by a thin intermediate section and horizontally extending end members supporting said cross member on said side walls,

each of said end members including a base section mounted on one of said side walls and an inwardly extending end section for receiving and supporting an end of said cross member,

said end section comprising a face portion overlying the front surface of said cross member,

the upper and lower edges of said face portion terminating in rolled edge portions for receiving the rolled edges of said cross member,

a resilient bridge connecting said rolled edge portions and forming with said face portion a slot for receiving said intermediate section of said cross member,

each end of said cross member including means adapted to engage said bridge for removably anchoring said cross member to said end members.

2. In a refrigerator door including an inner liner comprising side walls defining a recess and a shelf within said recess extending between said side walls,

a shelf guard bridging the space between said side walls comprising a cross member having symmetrical upper and lower rolled edges joined by a thin intermediate section and horizontally extending end members supporting said cross member on said side walls,

each of said end members including a base section mounted on one of said side walls and extending forwardly therefrom and an inwardly extending end section for receiving and supporting an end of said cross member,

said end section comprising a face portion overlying the front surface of said cross member,

the upper and lower edges of said face portion terminating in rolled edge portions forming openings for receiving the rolled edges of said cross member,

a resilient bridge connecting said rolled edge portions and forming with said face portion a slot for receiving said intermediate section of said cross member,

each end of said cross member including a dimple lanced from the intermediate section of said cross member on the same side thereof as said rolled edges and adapted to snap past and engage said bridge for removably anchoring said cross member to said end members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,216,621 10/1940 Mackinga 211- 2,746,828 5/1956 Amore 312-214 2,784,044 3/1957 Kurowski 312-214 3,156,509 11/1964 Padgett 312-214 CLAUDE A. LEROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E, HARRIS, Examiner. 

1. IN A REFRIGERATOR DOOR INCLUDING AN INNER LINER COMPRISING SIDE WALLS DEFINING A RECESS AND A SHELF WITHIN SAID RECESS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, A SHELF GUARD BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEN SAID SIDE WALLS COMPRISING A CROSS MEMBER HAVING SYMMETRICAL UPPER AND LOWER ROLLED EDGES JOINED BY A THIN INTERMEDIATE SECTION AND HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING END MEMBERS SUPPORTING SAID CROSS MEMBER ON SAID SIDE WALLS, EACH OF SAID END MEMBERS INCLUDING A BASE SECTION MOUNTED ON ONE END MEMBERS INCLUDING A BASE SECTION EXTENDING END SECTION FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING AN END OF SAID CROSS MEMBER, SAID END SECTION COMPRISING A FACE PORTION OVERLYING THE FRONT SURFACE OF SAID CROSS MEMBER, THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF SAID FACE PORTION TERMINATING IN ROLLED EDGE PORTIONS FOR RECEIVING THE ROLLED EDGED OF SAID CROSS MEMBER, A RESILIENT BRIDGE CONNECTING SAID ROLLED EDGE PORTIONS AND FORMING WITH SAID FACE PORTION A SLOT FOR RECEIVING SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION OF SAID CROSS MEMBER, EACH END OF SAID CROSS MEMBER INCLUDING MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID BRIDGE FOR REMOVABLY ANCHORING SAID CROSS MEMBER TO SAID END MEMBERS. 